I am truly grieved to say it, and would willingly be silent were it not necessity which constrains me, because, either through malice or very gross ignorance, they accuse the Jesuits of things in which nevertheless they have seemed truly sincere and faithful servants of God. But it is true that when they arrived in new France, they found that about eighty persons had already been baptized there (as they said); but they could not get the list of names, although they put themselves to some trouble to do so. Now, encountering some of these new converts, they tried to find out the extent of their knowledge, and for all found out that they did not know [109] even how to make the sign of the Cross; some did not know their Baptismal names, and when asked if they were Christians, they made signs to show that they had never heard the word. They did not know any prayers, nor articles of faith, and gave no evidence of any change from the past, always retaining the same old sorceries, coming to Church moreover, only as the unbaptized, that is, occasionally, for company's sake, or through curiosity, and not in a devotional spirit. Indeed some of our countrymen tell us, that when they were by themselves, they insolently made sport of our ceremonies, and that really, when they were well sounded, it was learned that they had accepted Baptism solely as a sign of friendship with the Normans, for thus they call us. An exception to this number was the great Membertou, for truly he [110] was a Christian at heart, and desired nothing better than to be able to receive thorough instruction so he could teach the others. Now the Jesuits, perceiving all these things, resolved not to baptize a single adult, unless he had, according to the Holy Canons, been well initiated and catechized. For they well understood that to do otherwise would not only be a profanation of Christianity, but also an injustice towards the Savages. For, inasmuch as it is an injustice to induce any one to sign a promise, or compulsory oath, without giving him to understand the conditions to which he binds himself: how much worse is it to force a rational being of competent age to make a solemn profession of the law of God (which is done through Baptism), when he has never before been a novice, nor [111] been made to understand the rules and duties of this profession? The Savages were not so stupid but that they knew enough to reproach us for this injustice, inasmuch as, after these baptisms of which we have spoken, when the Jesuits requested that they should give up Polygamy, and should live like Christians, since they were in duty bound to do so; they told them that we were wicked people, that we had tried to make them believe that they should agree to conditions that they had never understood, nor been able to understand. Now for these reasons the Jesuits, delaying the Baptism of those who desired it, put themselves to work with all possible diligence to translate into Canadian the Lord's prayer, the Angelic salutation,[24] the Creed, and the Commandments of God and of the Church, [112] with a brief explanation of the Sacraments, and some prayers, for this was all the Theology they needed. However, there was no way of accomplishing either a third or fourth of all this, as we shall show by and by.
Cependant voicy vn grãd murmure, qui s'esleue entre nos François, de ce qu'on ne baptisoit point. Car nous sommes en vn siecle, auquel, qui sçait lire, est à son opinion, grand Theologien: & qui a le moindre soin de son ame, est à son aduis le plus apte pour regir l'Eglise de Dieu, & pour entreprendre sur les oingts du Sauueur. Cecy n'est point tolerable (disoient-ils, ainsi que le Factum le professe) ces gens cy sont inutiles: Il en faut escrire en Frãce: & autres menaces, lesquelles ils vindrent faire au P. Biard, [113] lequel tascha de les appaiser, & entre autres choses leur dit: Mes amys, si les Iesuites eussent esté conuoyteux de vaine gloire, vous leur monstrez la route, qu'ils deuoyent tenir; de tost baptiser le plus de gens, qu'ils eussent peu; parce qu'il y a bien à presumer, que ces conuersions estans sceües en France, les Imprimeurs de Paris n'eussent pas esté plus negligents, ny les Colporteurs plus enroüez à crier telles nouuelles par les rues de la ville en leur recommandation. Mais à Dieu ne plaise, (disoit-il) que nous voulions sembler Apostres, n'estans que miserables pecheurs; ny que nous voulions acquerir le bruict de bons mesnagers, & diligens seruiteurs, en dissipant l'heritage de nostre Maistre. On mesdira de nous, nous le sentons prou; ne croyez pas que nous soyons si stupides. [114] Mais il ne faut non plus laisser le bien pour l'infamie, que l'entreprendre pour les loüanges. C'est à Dieu à qui nous seruons, & à la maison de qui si nous deuons apporter aucun fruict, c'est en patience, car ainsi l'a-il dit, Il apportera fruict en patience. Nous baptisons les petits enfans, comme [152] vous voyez de la volonté de leurs parens, & soubs l'esperãce, que nous aurons moyen de les instruire, quand ils viendront à l'vsage de raison. Les aagez, qui meurent, nous les baptisõs aussi, les catechisants du mieux que nous pouuõs, & que le temps le permet; Quant aux autres, qui sont hors le peril de mort, nous les baptiserons aussi, quand par vostre ayde nous les pourrons instruire en leur langage, & qu'eux nous sçaurõt respondre. Car il faut que le baptisé adulte responde luy-mesme, & [115] non le parrain pour luy. Aydez-nous, & priez pour cela selon vostre grand zele, & ne vous tourmentez, pensants qu'ils periront, s'ils n'ont receu le Baptesme: car aussi bien periront-ils, & piremẽt, s'ils l'auoyent receu sans bonne disposition: comme si apres le Baptesme, ils meurent en peché mortel, ils perissent. Que si vous repliquez, qu'apres le Baptesme leurs pechez leur seront pardonnez par la seule contrition, en cas qu'ils n'ayent point de Prophetes pour se confesser; Aussi vous dy-ie, que par la mesme detestation de leurs pechez, auec la volonté de receuoir le Baptesme, ils seront sauuez, en cas qu'ils ne rencontrẽt aucũ qui puisse le leur appliquer. Partant vouz voyez, que la premiere chose, que nous taschons de leur apprendre, c'est la maniere de se conuertir à Dieu de tout leur [116] cœur par vraye contrition, & desir, de s'vnir, & incorporer auec nostre Sauueur Iesvs-Christ. Car c'est vne disposition pour receuoir le Baptesme mesme: Et elle est telle, qu'elle suffit à salut, quand on ne peut receuoir le Sacrement par effect. Il est vray, nous auons la jambe fort pesante pour monter mesme ce premier degré; mais courage par vos prieres, Dieu nous renforcera de son S. Esprit. Telles & autres semblables [154] raisons furent pour lors deduictes par ledit P. Biard, & ont esté souuent repetées despuis, sans que iamais on s'en soit voulu contenter; marque infaillible, que lon cherchoit quelque autre chose, que raison.
Meanwhile, many complaints arose among our French people because no one was being baptized. For we live in an age in which any one who knows how to read is, in his own opinion, a great Theologian; and whoever has the least care for his own soul, believes himself to be the most proper person to rule the Church of God, and to infringe upon the duties of the Lord's anointed. "This is not to be tolerated" (they were saying, according to the Factum[25]); "these people are useless here; we must write to France about them;" and other threats, which were made to Father Biard, [113] who tried to pacify them, and among other things said: "My friends, if the Jesuits were ambitious for mere glory, you would show them the right way to attain it; i.e., to baptize, as soon as possible, as many people as they can; for it is certainly to be supposed that, these conversions being known in France, the Printers of Paris would not have delayed to make the Hawkers hoarse, crying and commending such news through the streets of the city. But God forbid" (said he) "that we should wish to assume the role of Apostles, being only miserable sinners; or that we should try to acquire the reputation of good managers, and diligent servants, while squandering our Master's inheritance. We shall be slandered, we are well aware of it; do not believe that we are so stupid. [114] But just as little must you desist from doing good for fear of calumny as you must undertake it for love of praise. It is God whom we serve, and if we are to bring any fruit to his house it must be in patience, for thus he has said it, He bringeth forth fruit with patience. We baptize the little children, as you see, in accordance with their parents' wishes, and with the hope that we shall have means of instructing them, when they come to a reasonable age. The aged, who die, we also baptize, catechizing them as well as we can, and as time permits. As to the others, who are not in immediate danger of death, we shall baptize them also when, with your help, we shall be able to instruct them in their own language, and when they will know how to answer us. For the adult who is baptized, must answer for himself, and [115] not the godfather for him. Help us, and pray for this in proportion to your own great zeal, and do not worry, thinking they will perish if they have not received Baptism; for surely they will perish, and in a worse manner, if they have received it in a bad spirit: just as, after Baptism, if they die in mortal sin, they perish. But if you reply that after Baptism their sins will be pardoned through repentance alone, if they have no Prophets to receive their confession; I say to you also that through the same detestation of sin, with the wish to receive Baptism, they will be saved if they do not find any one who will administer it to them. Therefore you see that the first thing we try to teach them is, how to bring themselves to God with their whole [116] hearts through true repentance, and the desire to unite and incorporate themselves with our Savior, Jesus Christ. For this is the proper spirit in which to receive Baptism itself; and it is such, that it suffices for salvation, when the Sacrament cannot actually be received. It is true our legs drag in reaching this first step; but courage! through your prayers, God will strengthen us by his Holy Spirit." These, and other similar reasons, were at that time deduced by the said Father Biard, and have often been repeated since, but they have never carried conviction: an infallible sign, that something else besides reason was sought for.
Or à l'occasion des Colonies, & de leur bon establissemẽt, duquel nous parlions; nous sommes deualez sur le propos du Catechisme, [117] & sur la defense des Iesuites: non sans necessité à mon aduis, ny sans profit bien grand. Ores, puis que nous auons fait mention du Factum, escrit contre lesdits Iesuites, & qu'il nous faudra d'ores-en-auant coup sur coup, en conuaincre les mensonges: c'est icy à nous d'exposer, quel est ce Factum, qui son Escriuain, & quelles causes il se dit auoir eu de sortir au monde.
Now as to the Colonies, and their proper establishment, of which we were speaking; we have stepped down from them to the subject of the Catechism [117] and to the defense of the Jesuits, not without necessity in my opinion, nor without great profit. For since we have mentioned the Factum written against the said Jesuits, and as we must from now on expose, one by one, the lies therein contained, it is for us here to explain what that Factum is, who was its Author, and what are said to have been the causes for its being issued to the world.
CHAPITRE XII. [i.e., xi.]
A QUELLE OCCASION LES IESUITES ALLERENT EN LA NOUUELLE FRANCE, L'AN 1611. & CE QUE LES FRANÇOIS Y FIRENT DÉS L'AN 1608. IUSQUES À LEUR VENUË.
[156] NOVS auons cy-deuant discouru des terres, & peuples de la Nouuelle France, & parlãts [118] du moyen de pouuoir ayder ces Nations: à ceste occasion nous sommes tombez sur le Factum escrit, & publié contre les Iesuites. Or d'autant, que ce difamateur, & factieux (ainsi le nommeray-ie d'ores-en-auant,) commençant dés l'embarquement des Iesuites, les poursuit, comme à la trace en Canada par boys, & riuieres, mer, & terres, de iour & de nuict, en tous leurs voyages & demeures, espiant par tout de tirer sur eux à couuert & proditoirement quelques impostures, & calomnies. A ceste cause il nous faut de necessité reprendre mesmes erres pour defendre l'innocence, & rapporter au vray ce qui est de leurs actions, & deportements: ainsi que i'ay promis de faire en l'Auant-propos. Et jaçoit qu'à cest'occasion nous serons contraincts souuent de particulariser plusieurs [119] petits affaires, non guiere bien conuenables à la grauité d'vn' histoire, ny à la dignité d'vn Lecteur honnorable; toutesfois i'estime que de ceste mienne diligẽce on pourra tirer trois grands fruicts, outre la recognoissance de la verité d'auec les fraudes, & bourdes, qui de soy mesme seroit fort profitable.